Automobile-clock.



RfS. JAMES. AUTOMOBILE CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED DEc.26, Ism.

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ROBERT S. JAMES, OF SEATTLE, VASHINGTON.

AUTOMOBILE-CLOCK Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, l9i5.

Application led December 26, 1911i. Serial No. 879,194.

To all whom t 'may concern Y Be it known that l, ROBERT S. JAMES, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Seattle, in the county of King, in the State of lVasliington, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automobile-Clocks, otl which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n automobile clocks provided with an alarm attachment and having an cectric switch operated thereby and by the use of which the llighting' ot' the lights at a predetermined time on any automobile equipped with an electric lighting system may be automatically accomplished. v

The object of the invention is to provide mechanical means for lighting the necessary lights on an automobile order to comply with trattic regulations, and which device will operate automatically in the absence ot the driver. This result is accomplished by providing the clock with terminal wires and connecting them with the wiring system of the automobile to which the device is applied. The alarm attachment is then set in the usual manner tor any speciiie time, the release of the alarm resulting in the closing of the circuit and the lightingot' the lights. lt is optional what particular lights are lighted, the wire connections determining' this, thcJconnections being so arranged as to result yin the lighting ot all the lights, front side and tail, or the side and tail lights alone.

This clock is designed to perform the double function of a time piece for the driver as well as an automatic lighting switch.

lVith this and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination, and arrangement ot parts hereinafter described and claimed.

lnthe accompanying drawings: Figure l represents a rear elevation ot an alarm clock to which this invention is. applied with the back plate removed; F ig. 2 is a vertical section of the attachment detached; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the switch lever partly 4in section; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the means for throwing the switch lever in neutral position; Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the members carry ing one of the electric contacts in a' socket to receive a plug.

In theembodiment illustrated, a. case or at a certain time inspring cabinet C is shown suiiiciently large to receive an ordinary sized alarm clock c pesitioned so that its tace may7 be exposed to view. Mounted in the case C is thedevice constituting this invention and which comprises a ratchet wheel l fixed to the arbor :2 of the main alarm spring and which revolves with said arbor, traveling from right to lett on the unwinding ot the spring. To the rear ot the ratchet wheel l loosely mounted on the arbor 2 is a contact switch lever 3 here shown provided with a circular central portion 4 having arms 5 and G extending from its periphery at diametrically opposite points, said arms being provided at their terminals with insulating material shown a-t T and having electric contacts 8 mounted therein. These contacts 8 are con; neeted b v insulated copper wire. 9 which passes over the. contact switch lever, thereli avoiding electrification ot' the parts ot the clock. yThe contact switch lever 3 and the ratchet wheel l are preferably constructed ot' brass. A spring pressed pawl l0 is mounted on one tace of the circular' portion 4 oi the lever with its tree end positioned tor engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel l. so that when said ratchet wheel is turned troni right to left on the turning of the arbor 2,*it will be connected with the lever 3 through said pawl l0 and consequently said lever will be correspondingly turned until the contacts 8 carried by the opposite ends thereof engage cooperating contacts ll carried by the depending arms l) which are supported in any suitable manner by the casing C. These contacts ll are connect-ed by suitable wires 13 which extend through the arms l2, with contact points 14 disposed in sockets l5 in the upper ends of the arms l2. rTerminal plugs 16 and 1G are mounted in the sockets l5 and are connected respectively by wires 17 and 1S with the leading in and return wires of the car wiring system (not shown). lVhen the terminal plugli is inserted in the socket l5 and engaged with the contact lt therein` a complete circuit is formed through said plugs 16 and 16, `and permits the application of the usual car lighting control without relation to Ythe clock contact switch.

rod 19 is iXed atene end to the arm 6 of the lever 3 and projects upwardly into an insulated member 2O connected with the clock casing and depending therefrom, and Which has a bore 21 extendinglongitudinally therethrough with an annular shoulder 22 formed intermediately of its ends and which is designed for a purpose soon to be described. rEhe free end of the rod 19 extends into the lower'end ot the bore 21 and has a pin i9 operating in oppositely disposed slots 20 formed in the side walls of the bore 20 and'whicli serves to limit the movement of rod' 19 to prevent its dropping out ot the bore. Another rod 23, extends into the upper portion of said 'bore with its upper endprojecting beyond the member 2O and is `provided with an actuating handle i coiled spring encircles the rod Q3, having one end abutting the shoulder 22 oi the bore 2l, and its other end'secured to the rod 23, so that when said rod 23 is depressed to bring its lower end into engagement with vthe upper end of the rod i9, the spring 25 will operate to return said rod 23 to projected position when itis released.- rl"his rod 23-ishdesigned for engaging the rod 19 and depressing said rod 19, thereby' moving the arm' 6 of the lever 3 downward and the arm 5 thereof upward, thus movingthe contacts 8 vcarried by said arms out et engagement with the contacts ll, and thereby breaking the circuit, said lever being then placed in what is termed neutral position where it will remain until again turned by the alarm spring or' the'clock c through the turning of the arbor 2, ratchet wheel l, and circular member 3, whereby said lever is actuated to bring the contacts carried by the arms thereof into electrical engagement with the contacts ll for closing the circuit and lighting the lights. i

I am aware that prior to this invention clocks have been made with alarm attachments operated-inccpnjunction with electric A- devices, therefore l do not claim such a combination broadly.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with an alarm clock,

y of the contacts o-n said lever, said arbor be- 'ing rotated on the releasing of thel alarm whereby said lever is turned to close the circuit, and means under the control of the op-` erator for actuating said lever to break the circuit.

2.. The combination, with 'an alarm clock having an arbor, of a ratchet wheellixed to said arbor, a switch lever fulcrumed to turn. loosely on said arbor, a pawl carried "by said lever and engaging said ratchet Licence wheel, electrical contacts carried by said lever, coperating contacts connected with an electric vsource and mounted in the path of the contacts on said lever, said arbor being rotated on the releasing of thealarm whereby said lever is turned to close the circuit, means under the control of the operator for actuating said lever to break the circuit, and means for holding said lever inl Aed means for engaging said rod -at the will of the operator to actuate said lever to break the circuit.4 l

et. .fi switch lever comprising 'a circular central portion having arms extending from its periphery diametricallyopposite points and provided with contacts, a wire connecting said contacts, said. circular member having a central aperture therein adapted to be loosely engaged with the arbor of an alarm clock, a. ratchet wheel, a .pawl carried by said circular member and engaging the teeth of said ratchet wheel, insulating members having contacts disposed in the path of the contacts carried by said lever, meansl Jfor connecting said contacts with -the opposite poles or" a source of electricity, said lever being actuated on the rotation of the' clock f arbor to bring the contacts carried thereby into engagement with the contacts arranged in the path thereof, thereby closing the circuit. 4

5. The combination with electric contacts connected with the opposite poles ofan electric source, a lever fulcrumed intermediately of its ends and having vcontacts positioned for engagement with said first mentioned contacts at predetermined intervals, automatically operated means for actuating said lever at' a predetermined time to close said circuit,.a rod extending upwardly from said lever at one side of its fulcrum, a spring pressed roc'mounted in the path of said first ,mentioned rod, and means for depressing said spring pressed rod to bring it into engagement with said iirst mentioned rod, thereby actuating the lever to throw it into neutral position.

y sonner s. Jarras.

litnesses: v

RAY R. Norms al. V. HU'roHINs. 

